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Can I pick up a ticket when I selected postal delivery?

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trainophile

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I just used the VTEC website to change an existing ticket for one on the same route at a later date, thus saving nearly £4 after the £10 admin cost :D .

However, it only offered me postal delivery, either free for standard, or some amount I can't remember for next day. I therefore selected the free one, as there's no hurry.

At the completion of my transaction it issued the usual 8-digit confirmation code, so I was wondering whether I could collect my ticket at a suitable station today, assuming no-one is mailing out tickets on a Sunday. Of course it might be an automated system, so I wouldn't want to mess things up! No particular reason, it just seems a bit daft for them to post it when I can easily pick it up.
 
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Romilly

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I'm pretty sure that you can't, for two reasons. First, when I opt for standard postal delivery from VTEC, the tickets sometimes arrive next day, which suggests that they are printed out fairly soon after you have completed your online order-revision transaction (although I have no idea in your case whether they'd be printed out today or tomorrow). Second, they are usually in my experience issued as an Excess, which makes me wonder whether ticket machines are even configured to print them.
 
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221129

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I just used the VTEC website to change an existing ticket for one on the same route at a later date, thus saving nearly £4 after the £10 admin cost :D .

However, it only offered me postal delivery, either free for standard, or some amount I can't remember for next day. I therefore selected the free one, as there's no hurry.

At the completion of my transaction it issued the usual 8-digit confirmation code, so I was wondering whether I could collect my ticket at a suitable station today, assuming no-one is mailing out tickets on a Sunday. Of course it might be an automated system, so I wouldn't want to mess things up! No particular reason, it just seems a bit daft for them to post it when I can easily pick it up.

No you can't. The 8 digit code is your reference should you need to contact them about your booking.
 

najaB

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Second, they are usually in my experience issued as an Excess, which makes me wonder whether ticket machines are even configured to print them.
Could you expand on that? I've never noticed any difference between posted and collected tickets.
 

crosscity

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These aren't normal tickets. They are an amendment of advances which are issued as an Excess.

As trainophile will receive the ticket long before she travels, perhaps she will be willing to share with us what type of ticket she actually receives (excess or normal).
 
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trainophile

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Certainly will. It did say on the confirmation page that I must retain the original ticket and bring it with me, otherwise the new one won't be valid. I will be away (non-related trip) from tomorrow until Friday, so if it arrives in the meantime I will let you know when I get back.

Edit: It's the same price, so would an excess apply? The only extra cost was the £10 admin charge.
 

Scotty

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Certainly will. It did say on the confirmation page that I must retain the original ticket and bring it with me, otherwise the new one won't be valid. I will be away (non-related trip) from tomorrow until Friday, so if it arrives in the meantime I will let you know when I get back.

Edit: It's the same price, so would an excess apply? The only extra cost was the £10 admin charge.

That's still an excess, jut zero-value.

I changed my journey on Virgin East Coast in the past week, from Thursday to Friday. Did this online the week before, and was able to choose Self Print for the updated ticket - so I had the original tickets (Thursday) and the new ones (Friday) The Self Print ticket clearly stated it was a change of booking, and was valid only with the original (orange stock) ticket.
 

trainophile

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That's still an excess, jut zero-value.

I changed my journey on Virgin East Coast in the past week, from Thursday to Friday. Did this online the week before, and was able to choose Self Print for the updated ticket - so I had the original tickets (Thursday) and the new ones (Friday) The Self Print ticket clearly stated it was a change of booking, and was valid only with the original (orange stock) ticket.

I'd guess your journey was on East Coast trains? Mine is on Arriva and Northern, who would probably be baffled by self print tickets. Apologies if I do them an injustice :lol: . Anyway I wasn't offered self print, just postal.
 

najaB

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These aren't normal tickets. They are an amendment of advances which are issued as an Excess.
Ah, okay. When I've changed Advance tickets in the past it was either before they were collected or it was done as a refund and re-issue (our company account allows refunds on Advance fares).
 

NeilWatson

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That's still an excess, jut zero-value.

I changed my journey on Virgin East Coast in the past week, from Thursday to Friday. Did this online the week before, and was able to choose Self Print for the updated ticket - so I had the original tickets (Thursday) and the new ones (Friday) The Self Print ticket clearly stated it was a change of booking, and was valid only with the original (orange stock) ticket.

The revised tickets would have to be used in conjunction with the original surely, or they 'could' be used for two separate journeys by an unscrupulous passenger?
 

maniacmartin

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I believe that companies that post an extremely large volume of post do indeed get collections 7 days a week, including Sundays.
 

island

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The revised tickets would have to be used in conjunction with the original surely, or they 'could' be used for two separate journeys by an unscrupulous passenger?

I've had change of journey tickets before; mine were marked "valid only with travel ticket" or "valid only with ticket #####" (the number of the other ticket being included.
 

trainophile

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Tickets received some time during the last five days :D .

They are on the usual orange stock, and headed VALID ONLY WITH CTR ********, Ticket type X/S ADVANCE. Issued as one travel ticket and one timed reservation coupon.

Validity BOOKEDTRAINONLY
EXCESS

Lucky I didn't chuck the ticket it replaces away!
 

crosscity

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Tickets received some time during the last five days :D .

They are on the usual orange stock, and headed VALID ONLY WITH CTR ********, Ticket type X/S ADVANCE. Issued as one travel ticket and one timed reservation coupon.

Validity BOOKEDTRAINONLY
EXCESS

Lucky I didn't chuck the ticket it replaces away!

So OllieB is right and 'Excess' it is.
Have a good trip.
 

Wallsendmag

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Tickets received some time during the last five days :D .



They are on the usual orange stock, and headed VALID ONLY WITH CTR ********, Ticket type X/S ADVANCE. Issued as one travel ticket and one timed reservation coupon.



Validity BOOKEDTRAINONLY

EXCESS



Lucky I didn't chuck the ticket it replaces away!



I'm sure it says somewhere on the booking screen to retain your original tickets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

trainophile

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I'm sure it says somewhere on the booking screen to retain your original tickets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh it does, but some people might not notice it. I'm the sort who keeps things regardless, but even so I had written on my unwanted ticket "cancelled, changed for 25/9" before I realised that it might need to be shown. Presumably it won't matter that it has been "defaced" - all the necessary information is clear as I didn't write over it.
 

gray1404

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I expect you will be fine. In future though - to be sure - I would not write anything on any of your tickets yourself even if theyhaare ones you don't wish to use.

Given what you have written on them the guard may just assume you have done the change at a booking office and the person there has written it on to avoid a passenger changing their ticket, but then reverting back to their original booked train - and thus gaining the flexibility of having a choice of 2 (i.e. by not showing the excess ticket).
 
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